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Cowboys’ Phillips voted Motorola NFL Coach of the Week

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has been selected the Motorola NFL Coach of the Week for Week 13. Phillips led the Cowboys to a 37-27 win over the Packers, as Dallas improved to 11-1. Phillips was selected as Motorola NFL Coach of the Week from among three finalist by voters on NFL.com. The other finalists were Panthers coach John Fox and Chargers coach Norv Turner.

In January, voting will be held on NFL.com to determine the Motorola NFL Coach of the Year. I’m sure Phillips will be on there as well, so everyone get ready to vote and get him in there.

The Cowboys have been dominating the league in awards this week.

T.O. got NFC offensive player of the Month, Romo with two awards, one for NFC offensive player of the week, and second came from Fed Exs air award winner for week 13.

Now Wade’s getting in on the action! Congrats to him! He has most certainly earned it!

Four games left in the season and now the Cowboys are starting to get the respect they fully deserve! The league is finally Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due! It is most definitely Christmas Season! Which one of you fanatics out there asked for that one this Christmas? (Chuck raises hand)!

Have a Great Weekend everyone! I want to be able to hear you guys on Sunday! loud And Proud! Let the Whole World hear us!! Go Cowboys!!

Wade Phillips suggests that Greg Ellis is "50/50" this week. He practiced in full team drills on Thursday in the dime package.

Keith Davis has a torn pectorals muscle suffered during the Bears game last Sunday. Also, back-up safety Courtney Brown injured his arm in practice on Wednesday. Brown would have replaced Davis on Sunday, but now the Cowboys will look to Pat Watkins as emergency backup and possible even Nathan Jones if needed.

Terence Newman’s plantar fascia is doing better but he now suffers from knee tendinitis. He will most likely play but not start on Sunday.

Bobby Carpenter has a slightly torn quadriceps muscle that may have occurred during the preseason finale against Minnesota. Carpenter was ordered by doctors 4-6 hours of rest but he wants to deal with the pain and play.

Terry Glenn will continue to be out until closer to midseason, if not longer.

Greg Ellis did not practice on Thursday, and is far from being game ready.

Terence Newman is looking alot better in practice, but still limited. Wade Phillips is saying Newman is a game-time decision. If they decide to activate Newman at gametime, he will play a limited role.

Patrick Crayton dislocated his pinky finger in last week’s game. It has not caused a problem, even though for precautionary reasons he has practiced with tape and a splint. He will start on Sunday.

It has been reported that Coach Wade Phillips has ruled out the return of Terry Glenn for the final two preseason games. When Glenn had arthroscopic knee surgery on August 1st, he was projected to be back for the final preseason game, however that no longer seems probable. Coach Phillips said Glenn will return to practice after the August 30th game. Glenn hasn’t had any setbacks in his rehab and the team isn’t worried about the veteran’s lack of practice.

"No, it’s not a real concern," Phillips said. "He knows what to do and he knows how to do it and as long as he’s ready physically, I think he’ll be ready to do it."

As for the rumors going around that Terry Glenn has re-aggravated his knee, Coach says he has no idea where that information came from. Glenn should be ready to go for Week 1, September 9th against the Giants.

We are only days away from the start of training camp and the start of another great season of Dallas Cowboys football!

I thought it would be a great time to get our weekly Cowboys Poll started up once again. It was a long off season but a very busy one for the "silver and blue." There were changes at the top with a new head coach in Wade Phillips, as well as some other prominent changes to the coaching staff. We had a few losses and some key free agents signings. And of course we brought in some fresh new faces during the NFL Draft.

This week’s poll question is…

What Do You Think Of The Cowboys Off Season Moves?

1. I Loved Them, Get Your Popcorn Ready!

2. Pretty Good Off Season If You Ask Me.

3. Who Knows, Only Time Will Tell.

4. Totally Disappointed, What Was Jerry Jones Thinking?

There you have it! I’m really interested in seeing all of your opinions, so make sure you vote today!

Alright Cowboy Fans, the first official Minicamp is well underway at Valley Ranch. Our ‘Boys are looking sharp and are ready to follow their new leaders. To the surprise of many, even T.O. showed up and ran some routes and caught several passes. Owens is still recovering from two finger surgeries but practiced and played above expectations with the team this weekend. Julius Jones also returned to Valley Ranch after spending most of the offseason in Arizona with his personal trainer.

There are a couple of Cowboys who had some complaints. Linebacker Kevin Burnett is upset about not having a starting job. Considering his competition: DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James, Akin Ayodele, Greg Ellis, Anthony Spencer, and Bobby Carpenter; Burnett is really going to have to prove that he can do better to even secure a spot on the roster, in my opinion.

Julius Jones also had a few things to say about his position on the team. He wants more freedom, he wants to be able to use his instincts rather than be told to run left or run right. Jones has been training with a personal trainer this offseason in hopes to secure his starting role.

Oh, I can’t forget the question that’s on every Cowboys fan’s mind… Who will be the holder in 2007? Well we have three candidates so far, punter Mat McBriar, back-up quarterback Brad Johnson and receiver Jerheme Urban. Maybe they should steer away from quarterbacks this time… Oh come on, I couldn’t pass that up, you all know I’m one of Romo’s biggest supporters!

Well overall, everything’s looking fantastic. Wade Phillips was excited to see his new team out on the field, and most of the team was there ready to follow his orders. Greg Ellis is still rehabbing is injury, but according to Phillips he is the starting outside linebacker and hopes to be on the field soon. Leonard Davis missed Sunday’s practice because his wife was having surgery, but should return Monday.

Believe it or not the offseason is slowly coming to an end and the new season will suddenly be upon us, so get your popcorn ready!

OK, so it’s Baseball’s Opening Day and I bet you all think that I let my Cowboys focus rest for just this one day. WRONG, think again! Sure, I’m a big baseball fan too, but don’t think the Cowboys are ever out of sight, out of mind.

You know football fans enjoys hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jacks, just as much as baseball fans do! And yes, I am fixin’ to have some hot dogs tonight when I watch the Cards vs. Mets on ESPN tonight.

I must say that I am a big fan of the offseason moves that the Cowboys have made so far. Our Cowboys have been the most active team this off-season, and our owner, Jerry Jones has forked over some pretty big bucks, but if that’s what it takes to improve the team, then bring it on! (sorry to use such a corny line from a ridiculous football movie) There’s no mistaking that Leonard Davis and Ken Hamlin were huge additions to the team.

As far as the whole new coaching staff goes, well what’s not to like? We have a great coach with NFL experience in Wade Phillips. But we also injected the staff with some young up and comers who are considered some of the most promising future coaches in the game! I’m talking about guys like Jason Garrett, Ray Sherman, Brian Stewart and one of my favorite Cowboys, Dat Nguyen!

We also have some second and third year players that are on the verge of becoming huge stars in the NFL, like Marion Barber, DeMarcus Ware and my sleeper pick for 2007, Bobby Carpenter!

You want some more good news? We are looking great for the NFL Draft! No only do we have all our picks, but because our shortcomings have been solved through free agency, we will be in the position to draft the best athletes available rather than drafting to fill a need. Teams that show up on Draft Day with that philosophy most often end up with the best drafts. We are in a great position to trade up and steal the best player in the draft!

So where am I going with all this Cowboys enthusiasm on baseball’s Opening Day? Absolutely nowhere! I just wanted you all to know that I might be wearing a Mets cap tonight, but make no mistake about it people, I’m a Cowboys fan 24/7!

Well, I guess it’s safe to say that the football season is officially over… yeah, right! Who am I kidding? Football season is never over for a Cowboys fan, it’s a 24/7 365 days a week job staying on top of everything the team does, because it’s all about the "silver and blue" baby!

Let me be the first to say that our Pro Bowl Cowboys didn’t disappoint us in the least. Despite the loss, the only fighting chance the NFC had was due to our beloved Cowboys, and everybody knows it. I was totally impressed by Tony Romo, and I was happy to see him shake off the dust of that muffed field goal. We need Romo to get passed all that and it looks like Tony Romo is going to be just fine. And speaking of Tony Romo, several sources are reporting that Jerry Jones is going to sign Romo to a brand new contract extension and is 100% committed to Tony Romo leading the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of the decade.

As I look at the team now, I certainly have a few concerns, or should I say questions. Here are my top 5 questions for Dallas Cowboys as they enter into the new season.

1. I love both Julius Jones and Marion Barber equally, but both of them want to start and yet only one of them can. How does this situation resolve itself next season?

2. Wade Phillips is certainly the main man on the sidelines for the Dallas Cowboys, or is he? Can the laid back style of Wade Phillips be enough to temper the enigmatic Terrell Owens, or will the combination end up being lethal for one of them?

3. Can Wade Phillips rebuild the confidence of a defense that had a major meltdown during last 6 games of the season, and can he take players like DeMarcus Ware and Bobby Carpenter to the next level?

4. Speaking of defense, something’s gotta give in the secondary. There are too many questions regarding the effectiveness of Pat Watkins and Keith Davis. There are rumblings that Roy Williams may be asked to switch positions too. Should the Cowboys draft the best safety available in the NFL Draft?

5. What about all those Bill Parcell’s players like Aaron and Terry Glenn? Will they still be with us when the new season opens?

Sure there are many more questions than these to ponder for next season, but these are the ones that concern me the most right now. Yes, I also wonder if Martin Gramatica will be re-signed or do the Cowboys draft a kicker or, I shudder to think this, sign the best kicker in the free agent market?

We’ll see how it all plays out in the coming weeks, but rest assured I’ll be keeping my eyes open and my ears peeled for all the latest rumblings and grumblings from Valley Ranch.

A formal announcement will be made today at 5 p.m., but reports are saying Wade Phillips is the Dallas Cowboys next head coach. Phillips was the only candidate who would keep the 3-4 defense and Jerry Jones did not want to have a losing record for 2 years while a coach came in and redesigned the team. Phillips was also supportive of Jason Garrett the new offensive coordinator hired by Jones.

The San Diego Chargers went 14-2 in the regular season with its defense run by Wade Phillips. Phillips was the head coach of Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills with a 48-39 record.

Jason Garrett… name sounds familiar. Oh yeah, he was Troy Aikman’s back up QB in the 90s. Those were some great years! Even though Garrett didn’t get to play very often, he was still there taking it all in. And now after a day long meeting at the Ranch with Jerry and Stephen Jones and Bill Parcells, Garrett has been offered the job as Offensive Coordinator. Not only that but he is now one of the top candidates for the Head Coach Opening. What? This guy wasn’t even on anyone’s list as a probable contender. Well, since when does that matter?

Wade Phillips seems to be a very likely possibility. The Dallas Cowboys requested and were granted permission from the Chargers to talk to Phillips. During an interview the native Texan told reporters:

"I’m really happy where I am. I can’t say enough about the (Chargers’) organization and the players and the fans. But I have family and a home there. Us Texans, even though we haven’t been there in 20 years, it’s always home and the Cowboys are our home team."

That sounds pretty promising to me. Considering the way the 06 Chargers season went, I think I’d be happy with that. Phillips has been head coach of 4 NFL teams: Saints, Falcons, Bills and Broncos. He has the experience and has been very successful most recently as the defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers who were 14-2 this past season.

I believe Phillips and Garrett would make an awesome pair. However there are still other names and possibilities that have been tossed around and no decision has been confirmed yet. So back to the waiting game. I feel confident whatever the decision, that 2007 will be a very successful year for the Dallas Cowboys. A new leader… a new year… a new outlook.